Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

About Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – or BJJ – is a grappling based martial art that focuses on ground fighting and submissions. Jiu jitsu is a fun, safe and practical martial art that offers a full body workout while teaching highly effective self-defense skills that are applicable in a variety of real word situations. It is practiced in either the traditional martial arts kimono (“gi jiu jitsu”) or in shorts and a t-shirt (“no gi jiu jitsu”).

BJJ promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger, heavier person using proper technique and leverage. Training can be used for exercise, sport grappling tournaments and in self-defense situations. It is not solely a martial art, but it is also a sport; a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people and adults; and, ultimately, a way of life.

The majority of training in BJJ takes place on the ground, teaching the participant: how to defend themselves while lying on their back (where they are often the most vulnerable), leverage and technique to overcome disadvantages in size and strength, and how to apply submission holds that will end any fight.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Guardian

At Guardian Gym, our Brazilian jiu jitsu program is led by our head instructor Caleb Khan, a black belt under Eduardo Fraga at Raph Gracie Berkeley. In addition to Caleb, we have a number of other instructors and volunteers from the leading Brazilian jiu jitsu schools in the Oakland and San Franscisco Bay Area. We have both youth and adult classes as well as a female only class.

We are striving to develop one of the leading youth and adult jiu jitsu programs in Oakland and welcome you to come join us for a class. To get started with your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training at Guardian click the link below.